Core Insights - The core logic of brand positioning remains unchanged in the AI era, as long as human decision-making is the ultimate carrier [1][2] - The essence of a brand is to provide perceivable and trustworthy value signals to customers, which will not change in the AI era [5][6] Information Costs and Brand Value - The first principle of branding is to reduce information costs, with 70% of GDP attributed to transaction costs, and 70% of those being information costs [3] - Information asymmetry leads to communication, trust, and decision-making costs, which constitute a significant part of the commercial world [4] - Strong brands create social consensus, which serves as a core moat, allowing them to become "hard currency" in social scenarios [8] AI's Role in Brand Positioning - While AI can accurately target customers, it cannot create social consensus, which is essential for strong brand recognition [7] - Trust in brands increasingly relies on widespread social consensus, especially in the context of information bubbles and social polarization exacerbated by AI [9] - Brands like Moutai and Haidilao have deep-rooted social consensus that AI cannot replace, allowing them to transcend market cycles [11] Market Dynamics - AI will not be the "terminator" of brand positioning but will accelerate industry differentiation, with strong brand values likely to increase while weaker categories may be overtaken by private labels or store brands [12][13]

Core Insights - The core logic of brand positioning remains unchanged in the AI era, as human decision-making is still the ultimate factor [1][5] - The essence of a brand is to provide perceivable and trustworthy value signals to customers [4] Information Costs and Brand Value - The first principle of branding is to reduce information costs [2] - 70% of GDP consists of transaction costs, with 70% of those being information costs, highlighting the significant impact of information asymmetry on communication, trust, and decision-making in the business world [3] Social Consensus and Brand Strength - AI can accurately target customers but cannot create social consensus, which is the core moat of strong brands [6][7] - For a brand to become "hard currency" in social scenarios, it must rely on publicly visible media to build social consensus [8] - The cognitive tacit understanding that requires no explanation is a manifestation of social consensus reducing information costs [9] Trust and Decision-Making in the AI Era - In the AI era, phenomena like information echo chambers and social polarization intensify, leading users to rely more on broad social consensus for brand trust [10] - Strong brands can effectively break down information barriers through public media exposure and credible third-party endorsements, serving as "trust shortcuts" in user decision-making [10] Brand Longevity and Market Dynamics - Brands like Moutai and Haidilao can withstand market cycles because their social consensus is deeply ingrained in consumer minds, which AI cannot replace [11] - AI is not the "terminator" of brand positioning but will accelerate industry differentiation, with strong brand values likely to increase while weaker categories may be overtaken by private labels or store brands [12][13]